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Sunday, September 21

Abstinence vs. Contraceptives

Abstinence vs. Contraceptives
Is pregnancy a gift from God?
Teen promiscuity is a serious issue and it is a known fact that most religious groups have always deemed it as an act that lacked moral direction. They have asserted that the children who become pregnant out of wedlock have had no moral compass from their parents to prevent such behavior. The issue proposed is that the notion of abstinence is somehow the best way for parents and their children to deal with sexual urges. They not only forego the use of contraceptives but some actively campaign against it. When Jamie Spears, the notable 16-year old became pregnant, some were probably thinking because of the Hollywood lifestyle and being raised by a single mom fit into this low or no moral pattern of behavior for her pregnancy. But not only is there no whispering campaign amongst the religious groups about no moral compass with Bristol Palin but they are coming to her defense in droves and are in praise of the family values they can defend in such a case that she has chosen to keep the baby.
If the best moral compass established by parents has less influence on the active hormones of the young teens than does the oft uncontrollable emotion of "love" and the innate sexual drive that their Creator built into every living species, then the real question is what we can do to prepare our children of the future.
In the United States, teen pregnancy is a growing concern. In 2001 UNICEF reported that the United States teenage birthrate was higher than any other country involved. The U.S. tied Hungary for the most abortions. This was in spite of the fact that girls in the U.S. were not the most sexually active. Denmark held that title. But, its teenage birthrate was one-sixth of ours, and its teenage abortion rate was half of ours.
Abstinence-only education seems to be winding down with a study finding that it didn’t work. States are opting out of it. Parents don’t like it either. According to one, 65 percent of parents of high school students said that federal money “should be used to fund more comprehensive sex education programs that include information on how to obtain and use condoms and other contraceptives.”Which do you support abstinence or contraceptives?
Who should be responsible to enforce this choice?Labels: Abstinence vs. Contraceptives

143 comments:

Since lecturing the teens about abstinence will usually not work, they need to be informed about contraceptives and how no matter which form of contraceptive the girl will use, the guy must always use a condom. Parents, teachers and health professional that the teen may turn to should make it clear that while teen pregnancy will make a drastic change in your life, AIDS will end it. This is a point that has to be made clear in no uncertain terms. Often, the reason these kids don't listen to the adults giving them advise about things like this is because they feel like they are either being lectured, talked down to or the topic is being, for lack of a better word, sugarcoated. It is more effective to get real with the kid while not trying so hard to dig into what is happening. As the parent of teens, I assumed they would do it and not tell. I didn't want my children to die because they were going to be sexually active and not dare tell me so I tossed a handful of condoms into each of their top dresser drawers every now and again. This enabled them to know that this subject was not unapproachable and even if they wouldn't tell me, they would more than likely practice safe sex. In order to discourage teenage pregnancy, at the age of fourteen, my daughter was a coach in the delivery room. After that, it was clear there would be no teenage pregnancy. Preaching abstinence won't work but keeping it real works. If you eventually want them to come clean with you when they need to, come clean with them so they feel comfortable telling you.

I would have to say that I support contraceptives. Hello...This is 2008, teenagers of the age of 13 are having sex. There is a very few percent of teenagers that are abstinent. At least with contraceptives this can prevent pregnancies and lower the percent of children having children of their own. Here in the U.S it is becoming more and more normal to see a 16yr old girl pregnant. I definately think that if you cant stay abstinent, which most people cant, then you should be using contraceptives. The sex ed classes having been taught in classes for years. People are going to do what they want to do. If they made contraceptives free then I think many more people would use them.

Concerning the issue on abstinence or contraceptives, I support abstinence. When you decide you are ready to have sexual intercourse, you are also saying you are mature enough to take the responsibilities. Contraceptives are perfectly acceptable, and honestly, I think it’s a mature decision when one decides to have sex. However, contraceptives are not a guarantee. Abstinence, on the other hand, is. The media is now making sex more and more appealing to those in the junior high years. I think it is disgusting to hear of those who have several partners throughout their life and when you start at the age of 13, you are expected to have a child before graduation.

Parents have a big part in the responsibility role, however, the individual has the final say. If parents would teach their children the importance of abstinence, along with the consequences of their actions, our teen pregnancy would drop drastically. Parents, nowadays, could careless and allow their 13 year old to watch ‘R’ movies while staying out til’ midnight. They also, themselves, have many partners come and go from their house. How can you tell your child that it is wrong to sleep around, when you, yourself, is doing the exact same thing? Although the child has the final say, the guardian is the one that has shaped the child’s morals.

Abstinence should be taught just as much as the use of contraceptives. I myself am a devout Christian and i find at times that abstinence is a difficult path, but a rewarding one. You don't ever have to worry about pregnancy or STDs at all. Of course that won't stop pre-marital sex so those that don't choose to remain abstinent can at least be taught educated on how to have safe sex. The truth is though there is not a 100% guarentee that condoms will work. Birth control takes a trip to the doctor which means parents have a better chance of finding out which leans towards the use of a condom. Its just more of a mental strain for boys and girls (teens) to what until that time of the month and see if it skips or not. Then a sigh of relief which may lead to yet another chance of pregnancy. A very dangerous game...

I support the use of contraceptives. They help prevent pregnancy and the spread of STD's. Yes, abstinence is the best way to prevent things from happening, but not everybody believes in practicing abstinence.I also think that it is important that teens hear about both contraceptives and abstinence. Especially in schools. And they should have access to condoms as well as being taught how to use them.

Humans aren't perfect. we do mistakes. We do stupid things for no reason and then hope we don't regret it. People can support contraceptives all they want but when it comes down to it, nothing is more effective than abstinence. However, like i said, people do dumb things. you tell someone not to do something and they'll do it. The more you tell them not to, the MORE they'll try. I understand that trying to push abstinence more can only make matters worse by pushing stubborn people away, but increasing contraceptive awareness will only make abstinence a thing of the past. we constantly compromise ourselves. What used to be deemed taboo 30-40 years ago, is perfectly acceptable in society today. and why push more contraceptive awareness anyway? a condom is 75 cents at a gas station, 2-something for a three pack, and free at walk-in clinics. it's easier to get condoms than it is to find a partner in the first place. If with all this, a person still chooses to have sex, that's their problem. you can advise someone, but unless you plan on giving forced vasectomies, all we can do is give advice, but like i said, abstinence should be pushed first before anything.

I, unfortunately, have witnessed this ... some what at first hand ... I have four cousins who have been pregnant during their teenage years and two of which have been pregnant multiple times.

It kills me to see the fact that they are having children that they can't afford to raise properly, not to mention the fact that they lack every single fundamental necessity in raising a child as well.

I believe that our educational system needs to teach and promote the use of contraceptives over abstinence. A majority of teenagers are sexually active, obviously, and people need to stop thinking that telling them to wait for the "perfect" one will work. I personally believe, with the divorce rates what they are, a lot of teenagers are giving up on this idea of the "perfect" one mainly because they ask themselves "Why wait for the perfect one, just to be crushed by that person later?" Does it not make things null?

Our educational system should merely be a reinforcement to parents. Parents should be the number one source of information and education on these matters, as well as the ones who actively promote the use of contraceptives if their child wishes to engage in sexual activity.

I hate to see irresponsible people having abortions due to their own idiocy. Although it's understandable that accidents (with contraceptives) and rapes happen...and abortions may be the only option.

My cousins were just being idiots, and now these children have to live a harsh live because of that. If you are not willing to take on the consequences, make sure you (or your partner) straps on a Johny.

Abstinence and the use of Contraceptives should be equally taught in schools AND in the household. I have a very open relationship with my parents because they weren't afraid of the awkwardness that can arise with the topic of sex. Since I was able to hear everything from my parents in a very real setting I understood from an early age what all went on and it was my choice and to make it an educated one when the time came. Many children don't have such an open relationship with their parents, so hearing it at school in a real way, letting kids know what happens, what the risks are, and the benefits and help them make an educated decision. If they want to have sex help make it safe! Offer condoms at school in the guidence offices! Make it feel like a safe place to get answers!

I think they should promote both equally. Not all teenagers want to have sex, but atleast they would know their options. Educators should not be biased on either choice. They are adults who can make thier owwn decisions, and they should not be influencing teens either way. They should only be educators. Parents however should choose the option that they feel best suits their child. I still think that every parent should have the "birds and the bees" talk with thier children and express their feelings on teen pregnancy and sex before marriage etc. so that the child understands the consequences of their actions and what their parents expect of them. I definatly think that teenagers with an open relationship with their parents are less likely to be irresponsible and not consider consequences. Parents that try to keep their children from life experiences are more likely to wind up with rebelliou uncontrollable children that they think are unruly. Teens need to experience life, and they should have every opportunity to if they are educated and know what could possibly happen and claim responsibility. I definately don't think 16 and under should be having sex, they should be enjoying childhood, but parents should also accept resposibility and watch their children, you are not an adult at 16, and most can not make a clear and conscious desion about their future. There is no need to put themselves in that situation. I hvaing been a rebellious teenager support contraceptives. And parents should enforce the choice, but people also need to educate teens, it's very important in today's society.

Schools should be the ones to enforce the fact that kids have a choice. Most people and schools say that abstinence is the only way and the only choice. But the more you tell someone not do something the more they are going to want to do it. I am all for contraceptives because it is our own personal choice when we want to start having sex. Kids shouldn't be scared into thinking a certain way. They should be given complete factual information about everything available to them, so they in turn can make the decisions for themselves. The numbers and statistics alone are enough to scare anyone, so it makes you wonder why not tell these kids the complete truth?

I don’t entirely understand how we can blame the current system for the rising pregnancy rate. I went through the public school system and through that I learned in sex ed not just abstinence, but how to prevent pregnancy and STD’s. When we did have the contraceptive programs, they weren’t implemented correctly either. My sister was in seventh grade when they gave her class condoms and told the class how to use them. Of course, they made balloons out of the condoms and called it a day, because what would their parents think if they brought those home? I don’t necessarily think that handing out contraceptives is the right way to go about things. You can see them at any store, or get them free from the school nurse, so you really should know where to get them, and the instructions are on the box.A great program would use both of these methods together. I don’t think anyone should be having sex out of wedlock, but it’s not my place to judge anyone who does.

I know this is not a response to the question, but as we are already on the subject, I have to say this. We all make mistakes, but we don’t have to. If the mistake has already been made, why make the same mistake twice. It is possible to stay abstinent; you just have to follow through. The majority of the population before our time accomplished it, why shouldn’t we be able to? The only thing that has changed is that people are more open about having it, that doesn’t make it any better.My purpose of this comment is not to insult those who do not find fault in premarital relations, but to encourage those who have the old fashioned morals that you can do it and you’re not alone. I myself am a testament to this. I'm not a teen anymore, and I’m married to my only partner.

As a touchy subject in everyone's mind, many people have their views and opinions about it. Mine are more mixed.

For one, I take Yasmin. Yes, I am sexually active, though that's not the main reason I am on it. But I listened in Health. I understand what's going on, to a point.

Sex education is a touchy subject for parents, as they want to shelter their children from any obscenities or volatile material that their children might come into contact with. What parent wants their kids asking about sex? What child feels comfortable talking to their parents about such a subject? I know I don't. Every time my mother tried to talk to me about it, I would write her off and say "Mom, I know. I learned about it already." It's awkward to talk to your parents about it. She tried to talk about it many times to me. Being the naive person I had been, every time, the words went straight in one ear and out the other.

Over in the UK, children are educated quicker about it, starting Sex Ed as soon as 3rd grade. The idea of doing that over here in America, well... Most would find it appalling.

Contraceptives are great. They prevent pregnancies for the most part, and encourage the use of protection. But let's be realistic. It's not just the teens who make this faulty decision. It's adults too. And adults are just as responsible for their actions, if not more so.

Abstinence is becoming more and more rare, and the percentage of the use of contraceptives, both male and female, is steadily rising. But you can't force someone to do something, or not do something. You can't force someone to take something if they don't want to. So educate the next generation about it with the audacity to protect them from the mistakes of our current generation.

Some have mentioned the role of parents. Many parents (I believe 65%) desire sex ed in schools but the talking they do to their kids is not detail-oriented. It is abstract. Maybe they do not feel comfortable. Many researchers believe that a detailed and up to date educational program can only come through the school system.

Which do you support abstinence or contraceptives?Who should be responsible to enforce this choice?Teenage birth rate seems to be a serious problem in the US and other parts of the world as well. I think sexual education should be a mandatory class to be taken by students in their first year of junior high or even before they graduate out of elementary school. Children in their young teens are becoming sexually active. Of course that is their personal right and no one can prevent that from happening, however; educating them on abstinence and contraceptives can be controlled.Abstinence should be a personal choice. I doubt that could ever be enforced on young teens unless they are not allowed to interact with their peers.Sexual education and explanations about how contraceptives work should be taught as a requirement before graduation. Schools and parents should work together to design such courses. These courses must satisfy two conditions; the method with which parents feel comfortable with in teaching their children about sex, and the type of information educators want children to know about sex. Many believe that this would cause more young teenagers from having sex, since they have acquired knowledge regarding how to have sex safely. But one can argue that, this is better than having them obtain false information about sex; information that leads to false practices that lead to incidents such as teen pregnancy. Individuals that plan on having sex will do so whether or not safety methods are available. Providing these safety methods might limit or even abolish the dilemma of teenage pregnancies. At this point, I am not sure if teenage pregnancies are so much of a “mistake”. First Jamie Spears being pregnant then Bristol Palin, being a pregnant teenager seems to be the new cool thing.

No matter what the parents do, in the end its the choice of the teens if there going to stay abstinent or not and there is nothing they can do to stop them. I support both abstinence and the use of contraceptives but since most teens are not going to be abstinent, Im going to lean more towards the use of contraceptives and we need to inform them with as much information as possible about it. Parents, teachers, other students, the media, pretty much everyone needs to tell them that they need to use them. Put ads on tv, radio and in magazines. Sell them to people like the cigarette companies do. Throw it in there face long enough and eventually they will get the message.

Abstinence will never by widely effective. It is about time we as a society face that. People are always going to be curious, and many times end up paying for it. Having a child should not be some life-long reminder of past mistakes. To many idiots think talking to young people about safe sex is going to encourage them to sleep around. Wake up... they are already having sex. They will keep on having sex with or without the "talk". We are supposed to be the adults helping the younger generation to make more informed choices. I wanted to do a Valentines Day fund raiser for student government ---AT THE COLLEGE LEVEL---, and the advisor said it could not involve condoms, because that would promote sex. Give me a break!!! The best thing we can do is protect our kids, our friends, and each other. Ignoring it and pretending is not doing them any favors.

I myself was put through an abstinece class at the age of 12 maybe 13 I thought it was un-helpful. Firstly, it was taught by my youth leader, Im mnot saying she didnt have good intentions; but, we all were young and really the class was geared towward being good christians and if we want to stay that way dont have sex. That was the message given to us. If young america were more informed about contraceptives we would be ona better road. One-a lot of girls think they cant afford it when in fact most insurance companies provied extremely good coverage for contraceptives. Two-It would help more girls and guys be educated if there were more info on contraceptives, maybe then both would stop and think before thay "acted". And like Bomana said kids dont listen to parents anymore, its tv, internet, and Hollywood. If we got a message out through these people, these tool maybe teen america would liste.

As a Christian I am for abstinence. I do understand that it may be difficult at times for teenagers but we as parents need to be open about the subject. Teachers should be able to speak more freely about the issues at school which is where kids spend most their time. I think we need to be open about sex because it is still hard for people talk about it openly and we need to face the fact that is happening a lot more than we may think. We should teach them about consequences instead of giving them so many options.

I understand it’s hard for teenagers but it doesn’t make it right. Some people do make mistakes but when you keep having sex with multiple partners I don’t think it can be considered a mistake.

I made a choice that I regret I had sex before marriage. It doesn’t make it right! I was wrong but I didn’t keep doing it. I acknowledged I made a mistake.

We should be promoting abstinence but teaching the use and benefits of contraception. Our youth needs to know that they do not need to have sex to feel good about themselves, they need to know that sex is not the only way to show love and be loved, but they need to know that if that is the road they choose to travel there are ways to keep themselves safe from not only pregnancy but also STDs.

Our country is in this boat because we are so caught up in being politically correct. Children should be protected from seeing, hearing, and talking about sex. We as a society have drilled it into our children’s heads that sex is a sin, shameful, and something to hide. Our children are doing exactly what we have taught them to do…hide – until it can’t be hidden any more (7 months along into a pregnancy). We need to open the lines of communication, stop blaming and condemning.

I guess that teenagers should be informing by teachers, parents, or doctors.I would say that I am going toward contraceptives. We are in the 20th century and I think that we should have enough reasons why the teenagers should not be pregnant. The teenage mothers are not that responsible. From13-18 I would say the girls would not be mothers, but rather they still need somebody to take care of them. They are not mature enough to take care of others. Most of them want to do this for fun but they do not rely what is coming after so please be carful.

Well according to this article pre teens and teenage students are not listing to the boring lectures of professors and their school information that is being provided about being abstinent. In fact, i must agree being that i am a teen and just got out of high school that these days its a realistic world out there. And im not saying that abstinent is impossible but it rarely occurs. Therefore, if we cant interest teens into being abstinent then we must figure out a way to inform them.The answer is contraceptives, such as birth control and condom usage. Im not saying stop the teaching of being abstinent however, just at the end of the sentence professors should say "OK if you still want to have sex, hears a way to protect yourself from getting pregnant.Contraceptives help, from getting pregnant, like birth control. This 100% eliminates the chance of getting pregnant however, it still isn't safe. So a professor should also state the usage of a condom. THIS HELPS NOT ONLY PROTECTING FROM PREGANCY BUT ALSO GETTING DISEASES!!! Finally im not sure if this is a contraceptive or not but.. we can also teach teens that you dont have to have sex to get pleasure.. There are other ways to get pleasure that might not involve the full GETTING INTO IT PLAN..... you can try other things that will not get you pregant as well.... In conclusion, still teach abstinence but more contraceptive teaching will reach the teens of these days..

I would have to say that I am a supporter of contraceptives. It's 2008, and a lot of things have changed since todays teenagers parents were teens. If you promote abstinence, i think it will only make teens more curious and more likely to have sex. The more you tell a teen not to do something, the more they want to do it in spite of you. I feel like if everybody promotes contraceptives, and explains the pros and cons of having sex, it will educate then young kids today.

Abstinence is obviously the best way to go. Contraceptives say, "Go ahead, breed.. we have you covered" and is a foolish way. The kids that use them will eventually want to -not- use them.Kids need to know that sex isn't a game, it is not for fun, it isn' something our bodies do for enjoyment. Sex is something animals use to breed, and that is the sole purpose of it, to procreate. They need to be taught what that actually means, and have it beaten into their heads that by doing this act they are saying they are adult enough to handle children. The argument against abstinence is that it doesn't work; of course it doesn't. Everytime these kids hear the word, they go to school and talk about birth controls that make it possible for them to breed without reprecussions, and then they turn on the tv and get to see all these cool people having sex. Quite sickening. I am actually all for contraceptives being in our water, or something, and then have it required to take a test to get the cure. We have enough kids in orphanages as it is, and abortion isn't birth control. Abortion should only be available if the mother is going to die, if she is raped, or if the father was forced into becoming a father. (for more info on that, read about the 15 year old boy who was raped, and is now forced to pay child support for the baby his abuser had).

I think that abstinence should be instilled into kids today more than contraceptives. Teens should be aware of both, but to me it feels like when you just educate them about contraceptives, your pretty much telling them you can have all the sex you want, just wear a condom, and make sure everythings safe... I think they should be aware that contraceptives are there but, I think Abstinence should be more of the main focus when it comes to sex ed. If you look at it as a time line, its just getting worse and worse, and I think its because earlier in time, it was pretty much no question to teen sex, as time goes by you make exceptions and it just comes more natural, like someone said before, even most 13yr old kids, are starting to have sex, and there are very few kids in high school now who are actually abstinent, so how would it look 20, 30 years from now?

In my opinion, teaching abstinence is pointless. I am a strong christian, and I know what the bible has to say about pre-marital sex, but I am also a human being and the truth is, once a child becomes a teenager (14, 15,16 years old) that child is going to want to start experimenting with sex. Exceptions to this rule: no one. If anything, preaching abstinence only makes the person it was preached to feel guilty about having sex, as if they are doing something wrong. Further, since this teenager has only heard "dont do it" and not "do it wisely" they probably wont use any type of contraceptive. I think that if abstinence teaching was done away with and replaced with contraceptive education, teenage pregnancy rates would drop drastically. Once again, I am a person of faith, and I know that to some people, pre-marital sex is seen as an awful thing to do. Yes, I am sexually active and no I am not married, but do I feel as if I am doing wrong? no, not at all. Do I use contraceptives? Yes, because my mother taught me about birth control and was an open enough parent to accept the fact that I, most likely, was not going to be a virgin until I got married. Do all parents approach the topic of sex this way? No, and I think there is something slightly wrong with that. For instance, one of my closest friends has an extremely christian home life, and a mother that has never talked to her about sex and how to have sex safely. To conclude, I support teaching about contraceptives, not abstinence. To me, the entire situation needs to be looked at with a "get real" attitude. I mean, what teenager isnt going to do something because adults tell them not to? NO teenager.

I would have to say that both abstinence and contraceptives should be taught. I feel that contraceptives should be taught more, quite possibly because I was a part of a system that was trying to be force-fed "abstinence only". I feel like providing and/or attempting to provide both will be more beneficial because the reality is there are 'people having sex' & 'people not having sex' so that would cover both bases. lol Also I like something 'harlequinmask' mentioned, which was, its not just teens that need to be informed but adults as well. Especaillly when some of those teens who have been a part of the rising teen-sex issue are now adults. Also one thing to bring up is that the religious aspect shouldn't be a determining factor for which is better because not every religion/faith belief/spirituality is the same. And not everyone is religious, teenagers and adults alike. The best way to deal with sex education is not by inferiorating another lifestyle or group of people on their personal choices and/or preferences. The best way is by providing tons of AWARENESS of both abstinence & contraceptives, and emphasizing how destructive not using one of those choicese can be and already is. Lastly, school and parents alike should be responsible for teaching sex education, & I feel just below that its also important for peole to educate THEMSELVES as well. The lack of self accountability and responsibility for those whom have had an opportunity to be taught by their parents or by school is a big part of the issue too. There's all kinds of resources out there! Educate yourselves, get tested, wrap it up, all of that! lol Be a part of spreading awareness whether you're sexually active or not, it helps and its still a part of prevention.

I'm a child of a teen mother. My mom was 15 when she conceived me and 16 when she had me. My biological father left her when I was a couple weeks old and I have no clue who the man is. I could ask my mom but that's a hard thing to do. My step dad who I call dad started dating my mom when I was about 3 months old. They've been together ever since. The only problem is that I had no clue he wasn't my birth dad till I was 13. I didn't tell my parents I knew till a year later. This is a hard thing to go through as a child. I believe just as hard as your parents getting a divorce while your a child. It still hits you just as hard. I support abstinence! I'm a believer in the fact that you should wait till your married to have sex. You should know you fully love that person and know that you'll spend the rest of your life with them! Yes my mom was young and didn't use protection but if she did I wouldn't be here. But I still believe in abstinence!On the other hand though, I will side with contraceptives. If you know you'll marry the person in the future or that you'll spend the rest of your life with them, then go ahead and use a contraceptive.This choice should be decided between you and your partner. If you think the person will leave you in the future and you don't want them to take sex from you with them then tell them no. You have the choice to say no!

My parents are very old, 60 and 64 and very conservative. With four daughters they have had to deal with this issue four times. Each time their approach has been a little different and perhaps with the last two they have been more successful but not particularly happy. My mother's main objection is that a teenage girl who is sexually active runs the risk of emotional distress at the end of a relationship that she may not be equipped to handle. She also believe that boys do not suffer that same distress. My mother and I agree about this and that is important. She expects me to practice safe sex if I choose to be sexually active, but cautions me that sexual intimacy should not be part of the "dating game." I agree with her in this respect also. I believe that rather that teaching a "pie in the sky" abstinence only kind of sex education for teens, education as to sexually transmitted diseases, and safe contraceptives is a more realist approach. However, I do not like the idea that the federal government gives millions of dollars to Planned Parenthood organizations which in essence make them appear just abortion mills that abort unwanted children in unprecendented numbers. Some girls apparently use these abortion clinics time and time again to get rid of the consequence of their irresponsible behavior. My position is this. Try to practice abstinence for your own emotional and mental health. However, use contraceptives always unless your ultimate aim is to have children, hopefully within the parameters of wedlock, not just for your own self esteem but for the sake of those innocent babies.I once wrote a poem in high school which said:"Please don't stick that pin in me the little fetus said.'Cause if you do I promise you I will become quite dead.I did not ask to be here, to make this circumstance.But as I am now, please, I beg, why not give me a chance."

This is an argument that will never be resolved. That is because it comes down to personal beliefs and morals. In my humble opinion, the logical question is WHY would anyone withhold information that may save a life? This goes for both sides of the argument. Everyone should be taught all points of views. The education should come from both schools and home. Schools do not have a right to espouse morals however they do have a right to present facts. The facts are that both abstinence and condoms can save your life. I believe it is the families that should pass down beliefs and religious teachings, whether it is abstinence or not.

I do believe that the Bristol Palin situation should make everyone, especially those who side with abstinence only, sit up and take notice to the fact that regardless of a minor’s upbringing (i.e. the Palin family stance of abstinence) a person has free will and will make his or her own choices. The responsible thing to do is provide accurate information so we are better prepared to make informed decisions.

I support contraceptives to the fullest. No matter who you put in charge to teach these kids about contraceptives and/or abstinence, it is ultimately the individuals choice. I feel that the "Health" class or "Sex-Ed" class when i attended high school, which was only in 2004, was not very informational. It seemed like to me, that they were either sugar coating everything or just telling us to not have sex. Of course, being a kid, the best way for you to learn is to make the mistakes on your own. I think everyone has a different opinion on this topic but as i said, i think that if maybe the sex education class that was required for us as seniors to graduate, it might have been a little too late by then. Maybe make it a requirement to move to high school or even a requirement as a freshman. These classes are being taught after the fact and then its just a little too late. I also think that if maybe there was a club in high school promoting abstinence, the influence among the peers would be a great impact too.

No matter how much you know or don’t know or how much parents teach you the importance of abstinence or contraceptives in the end it’s always up to you to make that decision. Birth control, condoms, shots yea they work but not 100% of the time why would any one want to take the risk of missing a pill or your condom ripping? I honestly support abstinence 100% being that imp 21 and still a virgin! its not every day that u see a 21 yr old virgin but ay im ok with that because while most of my friends are freaking out cause they missed their period or cause they need two jobs because their baby daddy isn’t helping them out im just chilling. being sexually active not only makes you worry about getting pregnant but also if you have an std. either way I think both abstinence and contraceptives should be taught in and out of school and its something that you should be able to talk to your parents about with out them jumping down your throat with a million and one questions to why your even brining up the subject. Even though now a days people think that being 16 and pregnant is ok and normal I think it’s sad. It’s sad to see how a child themselves are having a child. You can’t even take care of yourselves at that age how can you take care of another human being? Being sexual active is about being mature. Mature enough to now what you’re doing and that you’re willing to accept the consequences and be responsible for your actions and a lot of sexually active teens ARENT MATURE. They’re far from that. The only reason to why many of them do it is cause they think its cools or that they may actually find love or that if you don’t do it your weird or a loser. Movies, TV. music books all these things also play a big role to being sexual active. Teens aren’t mature enough to understand that these a difference from movies and real life that’s why a lot of them end up having kids at such a young age. With all this being said I support both abstinence and contraceptives but more abstinence cause it truly is 100% sure.

When it comes to contraception VS abstinence regarding teens, I definitely think abstinence is best but teenagers have a mind of their own. Not to mention teen sex and teen pregnancy is often glorified in a lot of movies and shows that kids watch. I was not surprised when I saw a news report a few months ago about a group of pregnant teens in high school. Parents should be more involved with their kids lives and talk to them about premarital sex but if the person is going to have sex, they should use contraceptives not only to prevent getting pregnant but STDs as well. If parents stay more involved in their teenagers lives, set and enforce rules about dating, and stop being naïve about what their kid’s will do, that would probably help. I think that there should be a parent-teenager class about abstinence and contraceptives, for the parents who don’t know how to talk to their kids on the topic. It is a shame when these teens have sex, end up pregnant, and have an abortion or give the baby up for adoption, neither of which are easy for someone to do and it will most likely haunt the teen for the rest of her life.

wow... nice topic lol well as someone who has thought they might become one of the teenage parents of the world i definitely support the backing of pushing the knowledge of Contraceptives onto teenagers. Abstinence is the better choice but you cannot honestly expect teens to be able to keep their sexual urges at bay, especially when you throw in that while in "love" as many teenagers claim to be... so i think that making the use of contraceptives more well known is probably the more ethical way to go about it, but they should also preach the fact of not sleeping around... because the use of a condom cant always help if you have 8 partners... but i definitely think that pushing the use of condoms or birth control is the right way to go only if they also push that it doesnt mean you can be loose.

I believe that lecturing a teen about being abstinent will not do much. A teenager still is going to do what they think is right. I think that teenagers should be aware that abstinence is the safest way; however, I think they should be informed about contraceptives. The more protection the better even if you are on birth control use a condom. Anything can happen. I think that parents should inform their kids on the different kinds of contraceptives. I also think that more classes should be offered in schools. I think that the classes should teach about all the diseases and safe sex. If your going to have sex be safe and the only way to know how to be safe is to be shown the different ways.

I believe abstinence does not work for one of many reasons. We are human and humans have sex, its nature. I strongly believe in the use of contraceptives especially because first of all it reduces the chances of catching STD’s and also pregnancy. Parents who support abstinence must realize when they oppose something to their children it makes them want to do it even more. I believe parents should take time and have a talk with their teens about “the birds and the bees” regardless if they teach it in school. It’s a parents job to raise their young and guiding them to make the right decisions.

I believe that people should wait until they are married to have sex, that is how God intended sex to be in the first place . But , in today's society nobody is waiting anymore. If you dont want to wait than I believe in contraceptives, an unplanned pregnancy can ruin your life. I also think that your upbringing has alot to do with whether you are having sex or not, alot of girls that go to church are waiting until they are married to have sex because that is what it says in the bible, but if you have not been raised in church than you probaly dont think you have to wait or some people just dont care. I do not believe that children should be having sex they are too young and they dont know what they are doing and that is why there are so many STDs today, young stupid children are having sex and they are not protected. I do think that people need to be more aware of all the risks that come with having sex.

I support contraceptives because teens are more likely to listen and obey. When I was in 7th grade, kids were talking about having sex. Shoot, even when I was in 5th grade. Since is no current way of stopping kids from having sex, the best course of action would be to tell them to have safe sex. A dude should always were a condom, and a chick should always be on birth control pills, so if one fails, the other won't.

I come from a religious background where we believe that Sex should be between a man and a woman who are married. I support to be abstinent from sex. I know that when i some day have children I am going to council them to not have sex until after they are married. I want them to know that it is better to engage in that activity when you have fully and totally given yourself to another. Absintence is the best birth control because there is no risk of having a baby. A thought about Jamie Spears is that yes, she should have been abstinent from sex but at least she is keeping the baby and not killing it.

I think contraceptives are wrong because in my opinion they promote sex. In my religion you wait till you’re married to have sex. I think teens and young adults should use abstinence, and on the other hand the people that have a religion that it doesn’t matter if you have sex before marriage or not then I hope they will at least use safe sex. This could very much go both ways it depends on the way your raised and what you believe in also. I think parents that don’t want their children to have sex will more than likely not teach them about contraceptives and safe sex. This may mean they will go out on their own and might have unprotected sex. I think at least the parents if they think there child might have sex at least teach them about safe sex and contraceptives so there are not any unexpected teen pregnancies. I think it is important to let your child know both so depending on what their intentions are they will be safe either way.

I would like to say that I support abstinence above the use of contraceptives, but as we all know this is 2008, and in today's society this is just not the case. I grew up in a christian home my entire life, and because of the type of person I am I choose to live my life a certain way. But each person is different. All of the preaching and shoving of abstinence and religion you can do to a child will mean nothing to them, if that is not what they desire.

I support the use of contraceptives 100%! I do not think that the parents are always to blame when it comes to teen pregnancy. Regardless of how a child is raised, they are not always going to listen to what they are taught. Nowadays we are seeing babies having babies and this is a serious problem. If we are not going to be able to control our children's sex lives, than we need to be able to help manage it. By giving them the right information and technology we can help them make better decisions, and in the long run, live a longer, happier life.

The following post by Bobby Allen was deleted by mistake and I am re-posting it

"Lets face the facts that what ever adults tell their kids usualy means that they are just going to get the lip service treatment and waych as their kids do the opposite. A least if they say practice abstinence and the kid uses a contraceptive they are practicing safe sex. This all comes back to the issue of free will which is said to be given from God. I think that if they are at least being protected then the problem is going down from what it was. I feel contraceptives give teens a way to make adult decisions while parents can know that they have been listening and that they will not have children until they are ready for the responsiblity."

As much as I would like to believe that teaching our children about abstinence would stop them from having sex I know that this is not a reality in the world in which we live in today. I believe that a child's parent are responsible for talking to their children about abstinence and safe sex and the consequences of their actions. I applaude bomana and the actions taken to teach their child the realities of teenage pregnancy. I also think though, that most teenagers are embarassed by such a conversation so even though they hear what is being said to them they may not listen. So, I believe that schools should teach about contraception. Maybe in the school enviroment a teenager, though they may feel like they are being lectured to( because technically they are)will be more receptive to listen to what is being told to them without feeling like they are being put on the spot. I believe that teenagers will do whatever they want to do because they feel it is there right, and all we can do is try to give them the knowledge they need to take care of themselves and the show them the reality of the consequences of their actions.

As mush as it is to support abstinence, as kids get into their teens they are going to want to try things and sex just happens to be within range of this ort of thing. Their will be a point where a young women will be able to just do whatever she wants. So if you are concerned about this then just talk to your kids especially young girls about having sex and that if they do just don't be a fool and wrap their tool.

I think that if parents truly want their teens to know about sex, then just talk to them about it. I have no clue why people say that they are embarrassed to talk about sex; Eventually almost everyone will have intercourse. I do think that sex ed. should be taught in schools, but if not, children should definitely be educated in some sort of way. As for Sarah Palin's daughter being pregnant at 17, who cares??? She accidentally made a mistake and should not be damned to hell. It's nobody's business but theirs and everyone else just needs to mind their own. I agree with both abstinence and contraceptives. If you don't feel like doing the deed yet, then wait. No one should have to be pressued into sex if they don't want to. Also, I disagree with the saying that sex isn't fun and/or enjoyable and should only be used for breeding. HELLO?! We aren't animals, we are humans and we have feelings. Feelings of love, passion, romance, intensity for eachother that animals can not even portray. I think sex should be experimental, fun and enjoyable. If you love someone, and you practice safe sex, what's wrong with it? Get tested, go on birth-control, use condoms, just be safe. Of course sex used to be looked at as just "breeding", but it's your decision. Just do whatever feels right. Take care of yourself.

I agree with who ever said that there is nothing you can do to stop teens from having sex. As long as there are hormones running and cars to drive the them, there will always be under age sex. The only thing you can do is teach the kids at a young age about it, so hopefully they can understand the situation. As long as they realize there are consiquences to their actions, There will be some control. Both contraceptives will work, and i think they both should be used together. Birth control and Condoms were made to protect. So for a five dollars, i think a real man can afford to go buy a pack of three condoms. I also think it's rude that people go around throwing judgement, like they themselves are holy saints. It is someones own personal decisions to do what they want, how they want. As long as they are not breaking any laws or commiting any hate crimes, they can do what they want.

I am completely for contraceptives, especially in today's world. The age kids start having sex gets younger and younger every year. It's a shame but just preaching about abstinence isn't going to work. They need to know about the risks they are taking, but never tell them NOT to have sex. I think that would only encourage them to want to do it more.Not all contraceptives "promote" sex. I hate it when people look down on young girls using birth control. There are plenty of reasons why she could be using it other than for sex. Me for example, I've been on the pill since I was 15, not for sexual purposes but it helped control my acne and "regulate" that monthly issue.

I can’t really choose a side as far as abstinence or contraceptives go. This is a major issue, and I believe that it just depends on the age, maturity, and the situation at hand. What I do believe is that schools should definitely be funded for more health classes for sexual education. Not every parent teaches their children about sex, and some don’t even teach them proper class or morals, therefore I believe that if the schools could push the issue then maybe this can teach them about the risks that are at hand if they are sexually active. I of course agree that the only “safe” way is abstinence, but naturally teenagers end up doing what they want, and often listen to their peers and fall into that “pressure.”If they are going to be sexually active, then they should use the contraceptives. In the end, it’s their choice, and if they choose to be sexually active, then at least they will have the education and the knowledge about the risks of being sexually active, and the use of the contraceptives. I believe it’s up to the parents to enforce these things, but unfortunately not all parents will, so if the school board can possibly help this situation, then I’m all for it.

This is something I have been talking about with my mother and sister ever since Sarah Palin's daughter was found out to be pregnant. Look there at what happened. Sarah Palin wanted abstinence only education for children and her own daughter didn't even listen to it. It doesn't work. It just doesn't. It's like telling kids that drinking is bad and that you have to wait until you are 21 to drink. Do they? Hardly ever. I am one of the very few that can probably boast that they did wait.

The fact is not truly what I think that matters. Personally, I believe abstinence is the only way to prevent it but it doesn't work. Teenagers will have sex just as surely as they will "borrow" the car or go and drink with their friends on the weekends. The only thing to do to prevent it from happening is giving contraceptives. Now I have heard kids say that condoms break or that birth control doesn't work. Actually when I worked over the summer and talked to a young guy with two kids he said both were being used and still his girlfriend had gotten pregnant! But people lie. As Bill Maher said in The Decider... "technology fails, my ipod can't hold a charge but you know what works? Condoms".

When I was in middle school up north in Ohio they taught sex education in a scientific way until you were in seventh or eighth grade and then they taught you the methods of contraception. In health class in high school they taught you further. Honestly, when I lived up north I can recall maybe one or two girls having children as teenagers. However, when I moved to Florida it seemed to become an epidemic.

One can preach all they want about the Christian thing being to teach abstinence only to teenagers to prevent pregnancy... but it doesn't work. It just doesn't. If I ever had a daughter the moment she hit about fourteen she would be on birth control. If I had a son I would give him a box of condoms.

It is both a parent's job to face the reality of their children and school systems to teach what a parent couldn't effectively and comfortably confront their children with.

Jessica is right. In some districts, teen pregnancy has acquired epidemic dimensions. Kids are giving birth to kids and then they raise them as single parents who most of the time do not have a high school diploma. What happens next?I think you can guess.

So it's like an epidemic in which the patients do not even have access to medication.

I choose to be neutral for this one. As must of us are aware of, teenage pregnancy is increasing at a dramatic rate in this country. This oviously means many individuals are becoming sexualy active at a young age. It is mostly a matter of choice. Most of the people I know are aware of the dangers and responsabilities that come with sex. STDs, unwanted pregnancies, and (in some cases) family rejection are just some of the problems that come with it.Both, abstinence and contraceptives are mature and responsible choices. If you choose to wait for "the right person" and avoid all the things that come with sexual relations (until you feel ready) then, abstinence is for you. If you don't feel like waiting, but want to be responsible about it, contraceptives seem like a better choice(condoms too).In the end, the choice goes down to every individual out there. Both of them seem like mature ways to deal with the situation, and should be respected by everyone else. Just make sure you know what you are doing before making a decision.(and try to resist peer presure, this should be a "personal choice")

I believe abstinence is a personal choice and should be respected. I also believe that choosing to have sex is also a personal choice. The fact is the parents moral values and beliefs do affect the children in a way. The children also have their own opinions though. When they get to a certain age they are going to do what they want regardless of what their parents say. This being said i think comdoms and other concraceptives should be of easy access to anyone who needs them. This way there would be less pregnancy's and abortions out there. We can't just stand back and say kids should not be having sex. They are going to have sex if they want regardless. So i believe contraceptives should be free and of easy access.

I think knowledge is the most deadly weapon in this case. Without question contraceptives, they will help prevent STD's and pregancies although it is not a 100% gurantee, but what is? I really forsee a way any instistion could stop teens from having sex, but I certainly think that schools should provide information about sex and how to protect themselves, and I would also go as far as saying schools should or could make contraceptives avaible. I think the more these items are avaible the more they will be used.

I agree with Crystal's comment. I support both contraceptives as well as abstinence. I believe that abstinence is the best way but I know that not everyone agrees with this. I think a lot has to do with the way you are raised and parents should definitely be heavily involved in such a big part of their child's life. Not all parents are involved as they should be and therefore I think that education should be offered on both topics. Regardless if a child is taught that abstinence is best and they are actually going to go along with this, they should still be taught about contraceptives and safe sex practices. This is a developmental stage in peoples lives and the more knowledge available the better. If you think about it, if a teen chooses to be abstinent in their teen years and therefore does not receive the proper education on sex, when will they learn? When they are an adult and decide to become sexually active, how will they learn? At that point everyone just assumes that you were taught at a younger age, and there aren't the same resources available.

I would have to support contraceptives. As a parent I would rather my daughter be well informed about unsafe sex and the consequences. I feel it is the parents responsibility to inform their children about "the birds and the bees", with the support of teachers and health care professionals. Kids are going to do what they want, no amount of preaching abstinence is going to stop them if they feel they are ready. With information on contraceptives, STD's and unplanned pregnancies they will at least have the knowledge to make an informed decision.

I do not believe that teens should be sleeping around but if they are then they need to know how to protect themselves. As a parent all you can do is talk to them and take them to the doctor. Most doctors dont have a problem giving teens birth control. If the teen chooses not to use a condom or the birth control provided to them then in the long run it is their life they are ruining if they get an STD but if they get pregnant they could ruin two lives, one being an innocent child. in that case there isn't much to be done from the parents perspective besides making the best decision for the baby and making sure the teen doesn't make the same mistake. I believe that the schools should educate about cantraceptives but they should also encourage abstinence.

As a catholic it would be morally correct for me to say that abstinence is the best, and most logically obvious choice to make, but the reality of this decision as statistics show are extremely unrealistic. I definitely agree with the mother that said that there should be more classes educating students on these issues. The truth is that kids at a younger age are having sex more often each day, therefore actions must be taken which is where condoms and such come into play, even though I do not agree with children having sex at such a young age this is reality and we must do something about it. I also want to add birth control is a whole different subject that I think should only be the last option for certain cases, not just teenagers who are active in sex and just dont feel like taking care of their child, in those circumstances they should own up to the decisions they have made, and care for that child to the best of their ability.

There is just so much that could be said so I'm going to focus on just the question.

Thwe answer seems obvious that Contraceptives are the best way to go. Out society is very sexualized. It is one of the biggest part of advertising. Almost everywhere you go in the 21st century is going to have sex ranging from half naked women to radio advertisements about sex pills. It is also ingrained that teenagers are suppose to have sex, and if you a virgin then something is wrong.

With this in mind, one can see how abstinence might be a problem. Rather then preventing the spread of diseases or pregnancy, they try to control it by preventing sex all together. While this will eliminate diseases and pregnancy by 100%, it means avoiding sex altogether. And the problem then becomes that if they have sex (which is almost guaranteed in this day and age) that the risk of these events shots up dramasticly. So the answer is clear.

As from where they should get this, it should probably be the school. If children have to take a sex ed class then contraceptives will get though their heads. However, the parents must also step up and try to guide their children in the right way.

Contraceptives are probably a more practical approach toward teen sex. In a perfect world, teenagers would respect marital values and stay abstinent until married, but we all know that it's not going to happen. With society changing at the rate it is, the teen pregnancy rate is only going to go up, unless we educate them about the consequences. I think contraceptives should be made available for young teens. I feel that it is all about education. If you show teens what young parenthood is like and how hard it is, it would most likely discourage them from having sex entirely or at least using protection. I think the worst thing you can do is tell them to practice abstinence and take away birth control. No matter how hard a parent tries to educate their child, it is up to them whether or not they have sex.

i think they should teach about both equally and more of it in the school. Abstinece is a good thing, nd you not havin sex til your married like i said is a great thing. But their is teenagers that dont do abstinence, so they should be thought about contraceptives and condoms. The more unprotected sex thier is, the more pregnancys and more diseases. So thats why i say BOTH But MORE sex education in schools. I support both, because keeping your self abstinent til your married is a nice, smart way. But if your going to have sex at least be responsible about it, dont go having sex with a bunch of partners with no protection, hince why i support contraceptives and comdoms also. Its always a individuals choice on what they want to do, so thats why i say BOTH.

My personal opnion on this that Abstinence dosen't work. Just for the fact that teenagers tend to follow their peers and most teens don't follow abstinence. I think the goverment should invest in classes about teach about contraceptives. The teenagers will pay more attention to using contraceptives. Plus they will learn how to use it correctly instead of learning it from their friends. I think that if your going to do it then you mine as well be safe about it and using condoms and other contraceptives correctly is being safe. So basically overment showed quite trying to inforce abstinence and fund and start new programs teach about contraceptives.

It is the culture, the media, the people around us, that make children open up to the idea of sex. In their mind, they see that others are doing it, why shouldnt they. With Jamie Spears got pregnant, i am sure a lot of parents were worried about the role model she is for their kids. On the TV there are many advertisments for birth control pills. The movies that are coming out play a major role on infulencing their minds as well. There are so many reasons why they are becoming so interested. The more they see it, the more they want to try it. In addition to that, most of it happens in high school, maybe even middle school! Peer pressure, or being part of a certain group, or wanting your boyfriend/girlfriend to love you. All these factors are reasons many teens are having sex.

They are at the age where they are not well educated and need to be informed by their parents, and teachers. There are many reasons why they should choose to abstain. one being the risk of being pregnant, and the other is the risk of getting a disease. Even though if they use contraceptives, they are still prone to getting it. They are too young to understand life, and how to even support themselves. How are they going to able to support their kid? In one night, their future can be gone. All their dreams and plans.

I believe that teaching abstinence in schools is outdated. I am fresh out of highschool and I can tell you how my friends and I thought. When the "sex lady", as we called her, came to our class to talk to us about abstinence, we took it as one giant joke, and we gave her as hard of a time as we could without getting in a lot of trouble.

My friends and I all thought: "who is this lady? And who does she think she is coming to us and trying to tell us how to run our lives". It was not only that but many of the people who came to talk to us, were deeply religous, and some also felt that her reasoning for not having sex before marrige was because it was against her god.

I believe that the talk of abstinence in schools falls on mostly deaf ears. Contraceptives are widley acknowledged already as the more popular and sensable form of birth control among teens. And depsite how you feel, it is up to the teens. You can not control someone and keep them from doing something they want to do. If they want to have sex they will.

Teach the use of contraceptives at school and teens will be much more likely to listen and remember the information you have given them and put it to good use, should they need it. Its better than not telling them about contraceptives at all.

The rest should fall on the parents and their personnal beliefs. They should talk to their kids about sex and be sure to relate to them and not just talk down. And be sure your children know, that although you might want them to wait till marrige or later life to have sex, if they must, to always be protected.

I support contraceptives because abstinence is not realistic in today's society.Teens should be aware of all the protection that is afforded to them including condoms,birth control pills,std screenings,etc.A teen with all the knowledge about sexual intercourse and it's consequences and enjoyments will more than likely make the right choice for themselves.Parents and teachers should always be there for support and information but never judgement because being judgemental only steers a teenager into the wrong direction out of pure spite for authority and their demeaning behavior.I think parents should come together with the schools and the government to come up with a logical solution verses a moral or religious one. Our children are our main concern and we need to find ways to deal with them in a gentle and understanding way so that they are more willing to listen to us and all the knowledge we have to pass on to them.If there was better communication between adults and teenagers,I think the rate of sexually active teens would go down due to teens having more respect for their elders and their elders teaching the teens to have more respect for themselves and their bodies.The answer is for everyone to come together and help educate and listen to children today so that they can make better choices tomorrow.

Honestly i support both, but i'm leaning towards abstinence. If teenagers really use abstinence and follow the guidelines to attain abstinence, then i believe it would really reduce teenage pregnancy. If you never have sex then you can't get pregnant, bottom line. If you never had sex then it's easier to control your hormones because you don't know what your missing or what it feels like. When other teenagers discuss about having sex you can relate to them, and therefore won't have that desire to do it like the others teenagers would, because you never done it before. The only problem is curiousity. Can you beat the curiousity of what sex feels like?Contraceptives are good too, but it's not going to stop teenagers from having sex. Usually the teenage girls using contraceptives ARE sexually active, and they use the contraceptives to reduce the chances of getting pregnant. So in other words, they're going to continue to have sex, and hope the contraceptives prevent them from getting pregnant. But ABSTINENCE in my opinion is the best method.

I don't believe just one person or one community is responsible. I think the whole world is responsible. That includes the parents, the schools, and especially the media. Parents should be educating their children about sex and not being afraid to discuss that topic. The schools should continue to hold classes lecturing students about the statistics of AIDS, and the proper way to prevent sexual intercourse. And the media is showing that SEX SELLS. So now every teenage girl wants to be sexy which is not a good thing. Most guys when they see a girl that's sexy, they wouldn't mind having sex with her.

I support contraceptives. I think that even if there were programs that did support teens and abstinence, there would still be people that would have sex. I think that parents should assume responsibility about their child's sexual activity and what they know about sex just as they would for their food and shelter. But I also feel that the government needs to be active in teaching teens about sex education, options that they have and consequences for if they don't use contraceptives. Such things like abortions and day after pills are never mentioned in the one hour class they give you in sixth grade here in Hillsborough County. I think if teens knew the absolute truth about situations that could happen to them and real life examples to show them, they would make better choices about using contraceptives.

At first I was not sure how to respond to this blog. I am one of the Christians that was taught abstinence, however through some DUMD situations that I put myself in I broke my own belief system.

The Way I was taught about both was probably the bad way. I say this because my parents basically told me that anyone who did it outside of marriage was a slut (They said it nicer ways). My apologies if that offends any one. However I have come to my own conclusions that this is not true that we are all just humans.

I think that until we can teach youth 100% abstinence, then we should also teach about contraceptives. Let’s not make them quit so easy to get in hopes of discouraging it.

I am a strong believer that ignorance is not bliss! Educate these children. They are going to make a decision one way or another whether they will engage in sexual intercourse, so at least, lets make sure they have all the imformation on their plates. I think that the responsibility is on the schools and the parents shoulders. You learn peices of life from your parents, but there are many other influences surrounding us. I think its important that everyone get accurate knowledge when it comes to sexual intercourse, especially children because they dont have the maturity and common sense that we do as adults. They need to be educated about std's as well. Young girls are very suseptible to older pressuring boys, and they need to know all the potential consequences!

I don't agree with teaching abstinence because teenagers these days wont listen so they need to be taught about other ways to keep themselves safe from diseases and unwanted children. Contraceptives are the only answer for safety if there is no abstinence. why teach something that fails 90 percent of the time rather than something that is used 90 percent of the time (aka condom). If you teach abstinence there will always be a chance that normal teenage horomones will take over, and if they do take over and they werent taught about contraceptives, they wont know anything that can protect them.i would rather see an individual practice safe sex, thean end up with a disease or a baby and regret it the rest of their lives.

While I am a firm believer in Abstinence, I think that students should be taught about contraceptives.

I am 19 years old and I am still a virgin. I learned about Sex Ed in school. On the other hand my sister had a baby when she was 16 and is now 18 pregnant with her second child. She learned about sex through the media. Although, I was very disappointed I just realized that everyone is different and everyone is going to do whatever it is that they want to do.

I do not plan on having sex any time soon because I know about the possible consequences, plus I have I believe that if someone is ready to take that step of being sexually active then they should be out on their own. Everyone keeps saying its 2008! Yes it is 2008, and that is exactly why we should be teaching abstinence to our society, because it is just plain ridiculous how it is acceptable for "children" to have "children". Of course they are just going to do whatever they want because they think they are ready, but it’s important to teach it, but just as important to teach about contraceptives. Since, they are not going to listen about being abstinent than at least they will know how to protect themselves.

Many say that the school system is not teaching Sex Ed. But I guess I am just one of the fortunate one's because my Sex Ed class was so detailed, and the graphics were utterly disturbing. I am thankful to have had it.

My mother has not taught me one thing about sex. Of course if I ask a question I get an answer. Not once has she told me not to have sex, which I am thankful for. Most if not just about all my friends tell its worth waiting for, and I believe that.

So for those who think that it is the school's fault it’s not and it’s not the parents fault either. Trust me; these kids are much smarter than they seem to be...

I support contraceptives,teens are going to have sex no matter what,its going to happen.Also,many of these contraceptives can also stop many STD's as well as pregnacys.This is very important especially for a country where the rates of teen pregnacy and STD's have boomed.Parents as well as others should push abstinence however,the teens need to know that using contraceptives isn't evil in anyway.These contraceptives could save lives when it comes to such STD's as AIDS.Teens should know how to use contraceptives and also be told that abstinence might just be the safest answer.

I support enforcing abstinence over contraceptives. Parents should play an active role in advising there children how to become more responsible when making decision relating to having sexual intercourse. I believe giving them valid advice on why abstinence is important can play a vital role for them becoming a teenage mother. But on the other hand they should still educate them on how contraceptive can provide them with protection in the event they become sexually active. The rate of Teenage pregnancy increased in today’s society because people accept that this may or will occur during your teenage years instead of approaching the problem and find ways to improve it.

I believe in both abstinece and contraceptives and think that both should be taught. If you look at it from both sides you will see that as much as some ppl think abstinace does not work, well it does and there are ppl out there that simply do not have sex, including myself, I just think that it still should be there as an option becasue not everyone is as permiscuious as they seem to be. secondly, no, I do not think that abstinence is a lasting value, because either you find the right person or you have a radical change of mind and heart. Now, thats where contraceptives come in. If properly used they can prevent so much of what we fear and I dont think people understand their full potential. Therefore, I believe that this type of education should begin at an early age and should be taught in school. nevertheless parents should be doing their part as well and I think they should be activly involved in sex education with their childeren, in fact i believe childeren should be hearing it from their parents first. I also think that contraceptives should be easily accessible to teens and they should be able to get them from their school nurse if they wished. Some of the boarding schools in the U.S already provide these type of services, its alot like handing out heroine neddles in certain countries to lower the risk of disease. The point is they know people are going to do it they are just trying to make it safer.As for teen pregnancy it is the copy cat behavior as was stated in class. Monkey see monkey do. and that is why it is extremly influentical the type of house hold these teens come from. And I think that having two good role models as parents helps a great deal.

I think that abstinence and the use of contraceptives should be equally taught in schools. My parents didn’t teach me very much about sex but I was able to learn about it at school. Not all teenagers want to have sex but if they did they should know the consequences. I am definitely for contraceptives because it is a personal choice and no one else’s when someone wants to have sex. I’m not saying that abstinence is not a good thing but teens will be teens. Kids need to feel like they can talk to people about sex like their parents or a guidance counselor. If they are considering having sex they can at least help them be safe.

I support contraceptives.I think better sex ed. is needed in schools to promote things such as condoms and birth control. With the media promoting sexualality so strongly, and teens being so impressionable, sex is bound to happen.

I feel we need to better educate teens on these matters. Let them know that abstinence is the best way to prevent S.T.D.'s and pregnacy, but if they are going to engage in sexual intercourse show them all the ways they can protect them selves.

I support contraceptives because the years have change and as much as you want your kids to wait until they are married it would never happen. I think that all high schools should teach sex education as a required course to graduate, so that way all teenagers know how to protect themselves from getting pregnant or getting AIDS. To be able to teach teenagers this, they should teach them the consequences of having sex with out condoms or any other contraceptives what could happen and how bad are these consequences that change your life forever like having a baby between the ages of 15-18 that you are just starting to become a teenage and have no idea how to take care of a baby or in the worst cases getting a sexual transmitted disease that can or cannot be cure. But if you ask any teenager that is sexual active if they are protecting themselves they would tell you that they don’t used anything and the reason is that according to their friends is that it feels better without condoms so they prefer to don’t protect themselves even know the consequences.

I would have to support contraceptives. There is no way in the world you would be able to tell every teen that they have to be abstinence. I belive that it is a choice if you want to have sex. In Sweden students improve knowledge and practices of condoms and other contraceptives. Results showed that while most students had a good knowledge about condoms, the interference produced attitudes to improve and condom use increased. After the study they said that condoms should be more accessable, that would increase safe sex. Our sex education has to be increased or better. When i was in school we had the sex ed class I didnt even pay attention it was so boring they were useing huge words that i didnt understand and i just sat there and acted like i was paying attention. In my other classes we would watch them on how smoking or chewing tobacco was bad and they would show a guy with half his face missing, i was drawn to that, also the class was too. In the end we need to increase the sex ed and show everything that has to go with unsafe sex, it is going to be impossible to stop teens having sex, but if we take action we can hopefully decrease teen pregnancy and std's.

In other countries, the school systems support and enforce the sex education programs for preadolescents. The theory is if you teach them when they are young, they will be proactive in their personal choices. I think that parents have the responsibility to educate and prepare there offsprings for this game of life. More specifically, prepare their kids for the turbulent ride ahead called the adolescence years. This is the time where a young teen is determined to become independent from their parent, just as they are becoming aware of their sexuality and by sheer blindness developing a sense of psychological identity. It is just my belief that this is the most important job for any parent. Through-out my early teens, my parents taught me to be responsible for myself. They also mentioned some stuff about the real emotions of the action of sex and informed me what the bible said about the temple my feeble little mind occupied. I was twelve or thirteen then, looking back it sounded like blah, blah, and more blah with some serious fear and consequences. For most part, I listened to them. I suport teaching children abstinence and I support teaching them that safe sex means no sex and contraceptives means playing Russian roulette (no offense intended). I would like to mention that the manmade contraceptives are just that, there is no reference in the bible that they are offensive to God. However, when I speak, I am speaking about the body as I was taught about; a temple for one, no life time warrenty, or guarentee”.

I personally think that in this generation abstinence will not work.The more you tell teenagers not to do something the more eager they are to do it, so they mine as well be educated on how to be safe.In my opinion Abstinence a personal choice, and cannot be taught to someone.Contraceptives on the other had have been used incorrectly many times,therefore kids should be more aware.I think once they are taught about the different types of contraceptives then they can make a choice of whether or not they contraceptives and decide to be abstinent or not. For example, some people think that just because you wear a condom everything will be fine.Of course condoms do prevent pregnancy, but they're not 100% guaranteed to work. Once kids know that there is a risk even if you do try to protect yourself, its up to them to make a decision.If you think about it abstinence is just a 100% effective contraceptive.There is no question that everyone wants there child to practice abstinence, but that does not always happen so I would think a parent would want to inform their child about all the ways they can protect themselves if they do decide to have sex.

I have little to say about this topic. Some teenagers will choose abstinence, others will use contraceptives and some will have children. I think the primary reason for the upswing in teenage sex is the slow but steady decline in church affiliations, the erosion of the family structure and the glorification of sex in the media. In the end, it will most certainly remain an issue.

I believe that is is the individual's choice in which they would like to choose. Abstinence does work for some teens. I know about a handful that are saving themselves for marriage. I am not against that at all. If they can over-power, per se, their hormones and not give in-then that is great. Contraceptives on the other hand are great also. They are a good form of protection for those "spur of the moments", not planning it kind of ordeals. Teens should be educated thoroughly on abstinence and contraceptives and let them decide for themselves which they prefer to use. My little sister, who is only 14, told me one day that there are girls pregnant at her school. Fourteen?! Middle-school aged girls are pregnant. I believe that if we had fully educated them from 6th grade that this could have been possibly been avoided. Educators are not the only ones to be blamed, however. Parents should learn how to talk to their teens about sex and protection and keep the topic approachable.

I grew up in a family where we went to Church every Sunday and went to private Catholic school from pre-k through high school. In all those years, I never experienced a sex education class. Although I never had that my family communicated with me about sex and abstinence. I was very informed about both sides even though abstinence was what I was taught the most by my mother and my religion. Because I felt the ease to be able to communicate with my parents I had no problem telling them, as I matured, my opinions on abstaining until marriage vs. abstinence.

I think it is supremely important for parents to let their children know it's ok to talk about sex. I think one of the biggest mistakes parents make is not letting their kids know it's a normal topic of conversation. If you do not start that at home then they don't know your views on sex and they learn it from friends, etc. I think it is also important to enforce abstinence as well as contraceptives in school. No matter what you think, you cannot make your child not have sex. So what you do need to do is inform your child of the safest way to go about it and all the things that go along with such a huge responsibility.

I personally support abstinence, I feel as though people today should wait till they are married or up in age. Yes, indeed some may say it is hard to wait while others might feel as though it will be easy to wait.I say we should hold each and every individual person responsible because to me I feel as though it is a personal choice and that no one can force you to be abstinence, you have to make that decision for yourself.Yes today there are a wide variety of diseases going around in the world and I feel as though the individuals should make that choice themselves to be abstinence and wait.

With being in a new generation where things are much more different than back in the day, I'm all for the support on using more contraceptives rather than abstinence. I mean come on, today teenagers are surrounded by nothing but sexual activities, ideas, images, everything. You look on TV and watch any show, and it has something sexual on it. That also goes for the type of music they listen to, [that’s another major part to how sexual confrontations can arise], clothes teenage girls wear. Some teens are probably not even in a rush to have sex because they are scared. So regardless of being talked to or not, getting education in school, its not going to stop teens from having sex. Take my word for it, growing up in high school when I took health classes, we learned about all of that stuff, and still teens were talking about having sex. The only thing teens (girls) would ever think about as a scare for them when having sex is getting pregnant. And if it happens, that’s just a consequence they have to deal with. To me I just think talking won’t solve anything. It all just depends on how they really care, because when you think about it, some teenage girls are actually trying to get pregnant, just to have a baby; while others just want to do it just because everybody else is, but will use protection. Another reason why I think most teens would use contraceptives is because they're starting to realize about the different types of diseases there about.

I like waiting till the end of the week to blog so I am able to read a lot of other views… it is very interesting! :)

I am for abstinence. Like many of my fellow students have said, this is the only way to 100% guarantee that you will not become pregnant at a young age and you have absolutely no worries of contracting STDs.

Abstinence maybe the way to go, but most young people today do not take that safe road in life. Informing our youth of contraceptives in schools is a good way to be doubly safe. I think it should be taught starting in high school. I just think teaching a course on safe sex to a class too young to hear takes innocents away from kids. That is something you can never get back and today you do not have it for long it seems.

I also think teaching contraceptives in school is not the only place the young student should hear it. It should first come from home! I have a wonderful relationship with my parents and they made it known that abstinence is the best and what they would want for their daughter. I always knew though, if I had questions or wanted further things answered about sexual things I could talk with them!

I definitely disagree with abstinence. I believe it’s an old practice that just doesn’t make sense. The need and want for sex is a natural occurrence that almost everyone feels. If someone wants to have sex they shouldn’t have to feel bad about what their doing, but making the choice to be responsible when having sex is another thing. Ultimately the person making the decision to have sex is responsible for enforcing their own choices. However, sex education does play a vital role in the big scheme of things. Kids today are not informed enough of the options they have to stay safe while having sex. For instance, women today should not be afraid to ask about getting on birth control pills. It’s better to take the extra precaution before you have a kid that no one wants or can afford. But some ignorant people will never learn to “JUST WRAP IT UP.”

Everyone knows that abstinence is the 100% way to prevent pregnancy but the bottom line is that no one is perfect and people make mistakes due to temptations. I support abstinence only to a certain extent.I think people should abstain themselves from sex until they are completely ready to take full responsibility in things that may come in their way. I believe that people should be settled financially and mentally before doing anything that they may regret later. To help prevent consequences, I believe contraceptives should be taught for both people who agree and disagree with abstinence in a serious matter. Sexual education teachers should focus more in teaching about contraceptives and consequences rather than being lectured about sex and abstinence. Beside sexual education, I also think parents are somewhat responsible for enforcing choices towards sex.Parents should be open to their kids and offer contraceptives if they don’t want to receive any humiliation or anything bad to happen. But in the end, I believe that people are responsible for their own decisions and not to blame towards the parents and sexual education courses.

Living in the 21st century where values and moral are changing to fit the needs of "self" leaves a vulnerable population in the hands of society. The mass media, fashion industry, and seductive music targets the younger generation to become sexually active without understanding the consequence. Who knows, perhaps, the industries are interrelated through ownership and sponsorship regarding contraceptives and profit. Just think, all the billions of dollars spent on advertizing sex contraceptives verse prevention of sex. The money spent on sex education would be half the money that is spent on abortions, contraceptives, and STD. Sex Education is over do! Education is the key for change and awareness. Schools should be required to implement a sex education curriculum program in the classrooms to educate boys and girls which is the responsibility of both girls as well as guys. At least, students will know their options beforehand in making the decision to have sex before marriage. Perhaps parenthood should ride along side sex education because there is not a 100% pregnancy preventative except being abstinence. Abstinence has been around for centuries and I suspect it will still be around as a favorable choice to some.

I think to be a virgin until marriage is honestly the best way to go. Of course, in today's society such a thing is ridiculous to even think plausible. Sex is promoted everywhere from magazines, televisions, and peer pressure. Since most people have passed the virginity days and gone on to have sex, whether active or celibate, abstinence is the next best thing. It's safe and there is no repercussions for it. Now if you are active then please please PLEASE use a condom or some method of contraceptive. The rate of STDs and pregnancy (mainly in teens) is absolutely outrageous. Sure it's a person's body to do what they want with and no one can say you can't have sex but at least be safe about it. I think it would be great if America offered sex education in schools but ultimately it is the job of the parents to inform their children on the proper way to have sex and the consequences of having sex at all. It really is more to it than just fulfilling an urge; it could be a life altering experience.

Additional note: I find it funny that there is such vail of taboo around this issue. We try and sterilize the subject with words like abstinence (no sex)and contraceptives(sex). Why must we must we try to obfuscate the issues, rather than dealing with them head on for what they are? As a society are we not able to deal with the truth. Today children are having sex and the children of today are maturing faster than the children of recent generations. This is a fact and perhaps it is time to consider those issues as well,when broaching subjects such as these.

I believe abstinence is the best way to avoid teen pregnancies and the spread of STDs, but I also believe in this day and age it is unrealistic to think that this alone will work. I think contraceptives should be more accessible for teenagers and i do believe they should be taught all about them before they hit puberty. Personally when I have kids, my daughters will be on birth control as soon as they get their first period, also I think all teenagers should know how to properly use condoms and have easy access. I think it would help if parents would talk to their children more but since nobody can make that happen universally I believe abstinence and contraceptives should be taught better in schools.

The statistic from this article that blew me away was the fact that Denmark had the most sexually active teenagers, but only had one-sixth of our teenage birthrate, and half as many abortions. This is proof that teens having sex itself isn't the problem. There must be a fundamental difference between our cultures in respect to teenage sex that leads to such a disparity. Here in the U.S, high school students are taught through scare-tactics, more or less being guided to wait before they have sex. The contrast between the things kids are warned about sex, and the glorification of sex they are exposed to on television, in movies, songs, etc. causes massive confusion. Sex becomes something mysterious, and interesting, not to mention the fact that hormones are thrown into the mix. Teenagers end up yearning for sex to transcend authority, and gain social status amongst their peers. I believe that you can preach abstinence all you want, and it won’t change these things. Parents that have a stranglehold on their kids might be able to force abstinence, but for the most part, discouraging sex arouses a rebellious inclination within young people to do so anyways. If we discuss sex more openly with teenagers, and make an effort to provide contraceptives, teens will be informed, and equipped with the necessary tools to prevent such a high pregnancy rate.

The issue as to whether to promote abstinence or settle to educate and provide contraceptives brings out many emotions from both sides. I definitely understand that the goal of abstinence might seem unattainable, but simply educating young children and hoping they will make smart decisions about there sexuality also seems foolhardy. The answer then must lie some where in between these two extremes. I believe that the responsibility to teach and regulate the decisions young children make on whether to have sex or not falls primarily on the parents. However, I do also believe that courses in school such as sex education are important and have a place in the education process. Sex is an integral part of mature relationships, but young children need to understand that it is an important decision and has serious consequences.

I think that abstinence is a great thing to teach to children and teens. It prevents many things such as STD and teen pregnancy and is promoted by religions of all sorts. Being a christian, being pure until marriage is something that to my family is a big deal and something that should be followed; but although it is a big deal to many families around the world, preaching about abstinence does not always work. Temptation gets the best of many teens and they end up preforming sexual acts. Since it does not always work, i think that we should not only teach about abstinence but also contraceptives. If a teen gets into a situation where they do end up having sex or preforming a sexual act, using a contraceptive is something they should know needs to be done. I think that abstinence is the main thing that should be taught but parents should also teach teens to use contaceptives if they do end up not being able to abstain from sex.

This is a very touchy matter, the avid Christians would say, contraceptives are wrong. Noticing that my mother has eight brothers and sister, her parents were strong believers in gods will. The number of people who believe that is dwindling. If you put things in perspective in other countries some girls get married at thirteen. I do not condone sex at such young ages, it baffles me that my thirteen year old brother has a girlfriend. When I ask why he replies with, you cant hug your friends and reputation to be cool. I do believe in being open with your parents about sex. If you have questions when your twelve, seven, or twenty you should talk to your parents about it. Contraceptives are the smart way to go, unless you are ready for a children. I also believe it is an individuals choice with parental advising. I don’t think a parent should decide for someone.

I say contraceptives. Abstinance is an easy answer but not logical. The amount of teenagers having sex in our generation has sky rocketed and doesn't seem to be showing any signs of slowing down. I believe it's the parent's and school board's responsibilty to take action in schools and at home to better educate teens on sexual intercourse and it's consequences. If we leave it up to the kids change will never occur. Ofcourse teaching these contrceptives won't fix everything, i believe it will be an extreme help. The parents job however could be to limit the amount of sexual content their child watches on tv or movies at younger ages. Beating abstinance in their heads everyday would probably be a waste of time given how most tennagers rebel against strict parenting. Avoid lecturing and keep your childs actions at top priority.

Abstinence hardly ever works now with teenagers the way they are. Contraceptives is the best way, not like how Hillsborough County is, basically stating sex doesn't exist, even though in my stay through Durant High School we had like 5-6 girls a year leaving to give birth. No offense to anyone who had a child while in high school, I just believe if the school district would a little more actively teach about prevention of STD's and pregnancy the County wouldn't have as nearly as unplanned student pregnancies. I'm not saying you can't have a child, some women and even girls are born mothers but the majority can't adjust nearly as quickly to that change. So I definetely say Contraceptives is the way to go.

I support contraceptives, because I think the majority of teenagers and young adults are sexually active. I`m not saying I approve of being promiscuous, that is up to the individuals morals not mine to judge. But I think that it does need to be acknowledged that young adults are having sex, so that the entire focus isn`t on abstinence, but also on safe sex. I know there is such controversy because the only way to be 100% safe is abstinence, but you can`t have a blind eye towards reality. Because in reality yes 13,14,and 15 year old girls are having sex. The school system only talks of contraceptives so far, so I think it is mainly up to the parents to first talk about abstinence but also be open with the conversation of contraceptives, and providing birth control.

I see young girls pregnant at my work and remember seeing them from my high school not too long ago; it is really sad to see a girl in high school pregnant because they have no way to support or raise their child. If she has a job it is minimum wage. One cannot even support themselves on minimum wage. She needs an education to really get a good job, but working and trying to go to school and a baby will make education hard. A baby would ruin a life at that age. Abstinence of course would be the best solution to the teen pregnancy issue, providing 100% protection; however, everyone knows that this will not work. I believe, as the article suggested, our sex ed classes should be beefed up. We should teach abstinence still because it will stop a few number of people, but also schools should focus on contraceptives. Children should be taught redundancy when having sex. Since no contraceptive is completely safe, they can have a larger safety net. It seems wrong to tell 8th, or 9th graders, "OK Kids, Here's What you need... Nowwww Go have SEXXX!!!!!"But the rest of the world is already telling them the go have sex part. We need to fill in safety precautions that TV has so responsibly left out.

We are the new generation of baby boomers. Unlike those times when husbands were returning from war we do it just because. Abstinence is a good thing but preaching about it doesn't help when you’re being undermined by the media. In my opinion contraceptives are the way to go. Right now there truly are babies having babies and the cycle seemingly can not be broken. It is absolutely imperative that parents speak with their children from an early age and continue the conversations in depth as they get older. No child should be afraid to come to their parent about sex or contraceptives it should be an open discussion in every home. You can’t rely on schools to teach YOUR kid’s everything they need to know. Which unfortunately too many parents have done which is why our country is in the state that it is when it comes to abortion rates and such.

I support the use of contraceptives. With the knowledge of these, teenagers will be aware of the STD's and HIV virus. I have always agreed that abstinence doesn't work. I remember sitting through classes and thought that everyone wasn't really learning anything. With the teaching of contraceptives maybe teens will think twice before sex. Maybe they wont do it unless they have a condom. ut who knows, maybe they will? But I think change the way they do the sex education classes and see if the figures for teen pregnancies change as well.

I fully agree with both contraceptives and abstinence. I feel as though abstinence is the most safest way to prevent not only pregancies but also STD's. I also think its a great way to prevent yourself from getting emotionally attached to someone. But then again i also believe any person who is sexually active should be using contracepives because you can never really trust anyone out there and it gives you a lower chance of getting pregnant. I also think that our school systems should prech more about contraceptives rather than abstinence because more and more teens go out and have sex regardless. Not saying there isnt that select few who can control these erges. And to answer that second question i think its both the parents and the child who is engaging in the acts choice...more so the child. i think its the parents because if a parent instills a great moral background that pre marital sex is unacceptable, the child will most likely not do it... and if a parent has that relationship with their child they can instruct them to be safe about it if they know their child is active. Now on to the child, it is definetly a big decision on his or her part. they choose whether to engage, be safe about it, and be open to ask questions.

I believe abstinence should be stressed to teens. Morally, I believe teens should wait until they are married before they begin having sex. While some may think this is an impossible task, I do not. Abstinence is the only way to prevent teen pregnancy and to avoid the transmission of STDs. My moral opinion aside, encouraging the use of birth control and condoms by sexually active teens is a ridiculous concept. The majority of teens are not responsible enough to consistently take birth control as directed or use condoms every time to prevent the chance of pregnancy and disease. Instead of passing out condoms to kids, we should work on removing the sexual images that bombard our society through TV, movies, games and music.

Abstinence vs. contraceptives. Before I comment about this subject I will like to say that sexuality and sex are two different things. Sexuality is often described as the sense of being a man or a woman. It has biologic, psychosocial, social, ethical segments. Sexuality influences life experiences, and sexuality is influenced by life experiences. The term sex has a more limited meaning. It usually describes the biologic aspect of sexuality such as genital sexual action. Sex may be use for pleasure or reproduction. As a result of life’s changes or by personal choice, sexual activity may be absent from a person’s life for brief or prolonged period.

I will say that as part of the health care system, I believe that a sex education program should emphasize abstinence and contraceptives rather than abstinence alone. Knowledge is power and a variety of choices allows us to be even more powerful and independent in our decisions (be in control and make savvy choices).

I think abstinence only approach will likely have serious unintended consequences by denying young people access to the information they need to protect themselves. Abstinence plus sexual education promotes: abstinence from sex, acknowledged that young people will become sexually active and teaches about contraceptives, abortion, Sexually transmitted diseases and HIV. Abstinence only: promotes abstinence from sex, does not acknowledge that young people will become sexually active, do no teach about contraceptives, and totally avoids teaching about abortion and Sexually transmitted diseases and HIV.

The responsibility should fall on all of us society, families, health care system, government and ultimately your own. Combined efforts, education and choices will be if not the solution at least the way to reduce unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases and HIV and others.

I support the use of contraceptives as well as being abstinent. Schools and parents need to inform their children more of each of these. If they think they are ready and want to have sex then he/she should be well informed of how to use contraceptives to prevent pregnancy and/or STDs. It is even better if the child wants to remain abstinent and wait until they are married and can take care of a child. Most people do not think of the outcomes before they have sex, some are pressured into it this day and age. The school system should promote both equally. But i believe that the child's parents should be the ones who talk to their child more about this subject.

I personally believe that abstinence is the right things to teach your children, but it must be done with the understanding that when your kids become a certain age, sexually active age, you should also teach your kids about responsibility! I believe that it all starts at home. The sad fact is, that not all kids have the kind of home where they are able to get the love, support, understanding and moral background that they need. This is where the school system should step in. High school should include mandatory classes every semester to re-enforce responsibility about sex, and to respect their own bodies. I have always talked to both my children about sex. We have openly discussed what ever they heard from friends or seen on T.V. I am not saying that it was easy to have those discussions, but it was easier than the alternative. Did those discussions work? Well, I have one daughter, who is now 19 and one son who is 23 and as expected, my son started at an earlier age (15) but my daughter waited until the age of 17. Understand that those are not great numbers, nor is it something to be proud of. But the truth is, I still remember being a teenager and I really thought that it would happen much earlier for both my kids. I am glad that it didn’t! When my son decided to have sex, he went to his father, who gave him the talk and condoms. When my daughter decided to have sex, she came to me, and I made her an appointment with the gynecologist. I did tell her that I thought that she was too young. I spoke with her doctor and asked him to try to convince her that she should wait. But in the end, she made a great argument, if she could not turn to me for help, then who? I had her put on the pill and bought her condoms. I’m happy to say that I am not a grandmother yet! So in the end, I guess that I would have to say that it should not be abstinence vs. contraceptives, it should be abstinence then contraceptives.

I think that education is key here. In my opinion, teens are brought up by authorities who promote sex is bad until you reach a certain age. However, many people would disagree and say that sex is perfectly fine because it is a natural thing.This brings me to my point. Why is it always someone's "job" to convince teens of the right decision to make? They have brains that work properly. So, I am in favor of education. That is, explaining the pros and cons of sex, rather than listing all of the negatives and diseases one could get. Then, let teens decide on which is best for them.

I believe that abstinence is the way to go. But in reality i agree with most and say that teenage boys/girls need to be informed about contraceptives because even though parents can have the talk with their children, and say doing sexual things are bad and you shoulnt do them. In the end its all up to the teen on what they choose to do. So if they do choose to do sexual things atleast if they are taught about how to use contraceptives they are aware and hopefully know the consequences that they put themselves in to. So i think that schools and parents should teach the teens on how to use contraceptives. But also push about being abstinent.

I confidently believe that we should adopt the methods that Sweden has been using where the students get sex education as an everyday class. Statistics proved that while most students had a good knowledge about condoms, the intervention caused attitudes to improve and condom use to increase. The U.S. has disgustingly high numbers of teen pregnancy and these numbers absolutely must go down immediately because teens are often less able to raise children, it is oftentimes more dangerous and traumatic for them, many end in abortions(whether by actual dotors or the underground doctors- that are of even more danger to the teen),and teen pregnancies add directly to the population growth because there is less of a gap in between generations when we are already at the maximum capacity for human population. We are facing a global crisis and the last thing we need are hundreds of pregnant teens that really don't even WANT to be pregnant because statistics show that most teen pregnancies are unintended! If we were to adopt Sweden's sex ed. program, I firmly believe that the numbers would drastically change and we would see much more responsibility in our youth.

Honestly with this topic I am not for one or the other it is each persons individual choice in the way they choose to live their life. It's questions like these that there is no right or wrong answer. If somebody wants to choose abstinence as there choice more power to them and the same goes for contraceptives. It's all about how your raised. I know in England where i'm from it's normal for 16 year old girls to start a family when in the US you would be looked at as a child having a child

I do feel that no matter what you believe in, you ned to know about contraceptives because most teens will not listen to anyone talking about abstinence. I also feel that teens should feel comfortable talking about sex to anyone, may it be a teacher, a counselor or there parents. Teens should feel most comfortable around there parents, even if either side does not brig it up, parents and teens should know the other is thinking about it.

I do like that the schools teach sex ed, but that is not the only place you should hear about it. I was in the 5th grade when i had my one and only sex ed class. I feel that it is a class that should be held each year in till you graduate because teens think of it as a joke. they remember bits and pieces of there class and thats when they think ok well we dot have a condom so just pull out it will be ok. Teens need to be reminded about a lot of things, make you bed, do your laundry, use a condom!!

I do feel it is the schools job to teach both abstinence and contraceptives and it is the job of the parents to do the same.

No matter what you teach your children there is a time when they have to start making decisions for themselves, however right or wrong they might be!Sure, many seek for the easy way out of unplanned situations, and thus attempt to "pass on" excuses and/or cop-outs, believing that they are making it easier on their children or loved ones, saving them from hard decisions. But hard decisions are the hammer and anvil that shape and strengthen character when such decisions are made with "wisdom" that has been passed on, rather than cop-outs.The right way to educate a child on sexuality and all the nuances therein is with the Word of God OPEN as well as the parents' willingness to openly answer any questions. Knowledge "about" various forms of contraception will suffice, whereas offering a child or young adult contraceptives outright would imply encouragement to use them.

I feel that trying to get most teens to be abstinent is a loosing battle. There is just took much pressure from your peers and from the media. If you look in any fashion magazine that every 13 year old girl reads there are sexual images everywhere. Girls are using makeup at earlier and earlier ages because of our mass media influenced culture that tells women that they must dress a certain way or look a certain way. I find it incredibly shallow that our culture puts external beauty above anything else.

Now, back to the issue. I feel that the proper education and use of contraceptives is the best way to go on this issue. When I say contraceptives I mean some form of barrier (i.e. condoms). Birth control is not the way to go when it comes to contraceptives. It messes with your hormone levels and can lead to blood clots, stroke, cervical cancer, and heart attacks. That is some pretty serious stuff. Not to mention that the emotional ups and downs that women experience while using birth control (I know because my girlfriend is on it) can be very straining on a relationship. Condoms are by far the better route to take. If the condom does happen to break the Morning After Pill is readily available over the counter to prevent pregnancy.

It is the choice of the individual to make the decision of whether to use contraceptives or to be abstinent. I feel that schools should teach a standardized sexual education course which is mandatory for every freshman in high school. Having a standardized program would make sure that nothing gets left out and the kids get all the information. Yes it may be uncomfortable to teach this to kids but it is absolutely necessary to do to prevent unwanted teen pregnancies.

First of all I believe that pregnancy is a gift from God whether it is out of wedlock or not. If I made a child out of wedlock and you made a child in a marriage, that doesn’t mean that God loves your child more than he loves mine. Making a child out of wedlock might be my mistake, but not God’s. He already knew it was about to happen.When it comes to abstinence or contraceptives, I support both methods. Although abstinence might be the better of both methods to practice, it is likely that most teenagers will engage in sexual activities. Therefore contraceptives, sex education about contraceptives and how to use them can come into place here. However it is necessary if we teach teenagers both about abstinence and the use of contraceptives, because it all boils down to their choice in the end. When reality kicks in, whose going to decide for them? They are the ones who are going to choose if they want to have sex or not. So it’s best to educate on both abstinence and contraceptives and not only support one or the other.

I am for contraceptives I feel that if you are willing to play with fire, you are risking getting burned. Even though contraceptives are only 99.9% accurate...I still feel that it's better than nothing and that you are taking some kind of step to protect yourself. In a perfect world abstinence would be the better option, but look at the world. Teens don't listen to their parents on simple issues let alone sex. You know that they are going to do it, but wouldn't you feel a little better knowing that they are using some kind of protection than not?

I think that contraceptives is the better choice by far. It is very unrealistic to say that may teens pick abstinence over contraceptives. The statistic listed in the blog is just one way of proving it. If 65 percent of teens want more funding to go to sex education, at least they are telling them that they want things to be done the right way. I think that by being properly educated teens might actually wait longer to have sex because they will have learned all the consequences. Providing more contraceptives at least is protecting everyone because just telling teens to abstain until marriage will never work for everyone.

Contraceptives are the answer in my honest opinion. As students are going to have sex no matter what, they should be taught to use protection. Also the thought that we push abstinence because religious groups say so goes against the whole separation of church and state. Another thing is that teens have already started going threw puberty and it is only natural to want to have sex and "reproduce" so they need contraceptives to stop them from getting pregnant. I remember in high school there was like 10 girls pregnant if only they gave out free condoms at school.

Well, this subject here is very serious subject to me because I was a teenage mother at the age of 15, just 2 weeks away from my 16 birthday. In high school, I did take sex education and NO, I did not come from a dysfunctional home. As a matter of fact, I was raised by my dad and we all know how dads can be about their little girls. To me, it was just what cards I was deal with in life. I was lucky to have a wonderful family to help me until I graduated from high school and was able to support my child on my own but the journey was not easy. I constantly had people prejudging me, talks behind my back, and even lost family & friends. Even though, I was hurt by all this, it gave me strength to do better in life and to go beyond the expectation that people had for me. Now those same people praise me for what I have accomplished in life. They even ask me to talk to their child that are adults themselves but seem not to want anything in life. But anyways, I was one of the teenage mothers that were lucky enough to keep living life and knew not to ever give up but there are some teenagers that were not. I think that abstinence is the best way to go because some people, not just teenagers, don’t need kids. I think that they should have a program that would allow people to experience parenthood before they think about having a child. This program should be 3 months long to give them a wake up call. Being a teenage parent is not easy and being an adult parent does not make it any easier.

In choosing abstinence or contraceptives; I would definitely choose abstinence. But that’s my opinion. I think that abstinence and contraceptives should both be taught in school because there are so many teenagers out there having sexual intercourse, and they think that they won't catch a disease or get pregnant. I think that teenagers are going to do whatever they feel like it no matter what their parents say or what teachers say, but at least they would know what the outcome could be by having sexual intercourse. People are going to do whatever they want to and that’s their choice, but I think its wrong for teenagers that are like twelve and thirteen having sex because they are too young to realize what they are doing. I mean they are too young to take care of themselves, so why take that chance. And nobody is doing anything to stop it or educate them on it. At least if they learn more about abstinence and contraceptives then they know what the outcomes could be.

This is a subject near and most dear to my hart,because I too was once a teenage mother. I want to say that i strongly believe in the teaching of abstinence First. There is butty, freedom and promise in a marriage covenant which God designed for only a husband and wife.Sex then in fact should Waite till marriage, that is what I hope to instill in my children. However with that said and knowing my own experience I also realize the truth of this life Stuff happens, and we all as a people fall short of good judgement sometimes. I think with knowing that we as parents have a responsibility to also arm our children with a strong foundation of sex-education knowledge as another percussion in keeping them safe. I do think that there should be a more extensive sex-ed class in American school I also feel that parents should not fear the uncomfortable conversations, after all kids don't need our judgement they need our love and guidance, we can't guide them if we don't speak!!I believe in abstinence and that parents should be the ones enforcing it in their homes,but i also know that merly teaching it can go so far "at the end of the day" the choice is with the teen them self. My hope is that they not fall in to the temptations of this world, however if they do may the know how to do IT safe....

Personally, I believe that it is unrealistic to preach anstinence to teens and expect them to live by that standard. While it makes sense to caution against promiscuity and make teens aware of the consequences that chosing to have sex may carry, trying to force ideals of abstaining from sex until marriage and approaching pregnancy and STDs as 'scare tactics' to try to manipulate teens out of being sexually active is not effective.

The pro's of abstinence should be taught, but not presented as the only option. Teens should be made aware of the different methods of birth control available and how to access them.

It is especially essential that in school sexual education classes, both abstinence and contraceptives are equally stressed. It is not right to be preaching abstinence as the only acceptable option, especially in a public school. Trying to impose this religious and personal ideal should not be acceptable in a government operated school program.

Parents should also teach their children about abstinance and birth control. They should not try to scare their children from ever having sex, but give them all the facts so that when they are ready to have sex they can make that decision.

Deciding whether to be abstinent or have sex is a personal decision that should be made by that individual only. Being informed about birth control helps teens make an educated decision for themselves personally, which will allow them to be more responsible.

How many of us have been told not to do something we knew little about...and we went right ahead and jumped in. I know on several subjects I can say that. But luckily sex wasn't one of them. My parents taught me safe sex instead of just "not doing it". They were wise enough to know that I would probably have sex and so prepared me for when the time came. I think that while everyone has a choice on to have or not to have sex, everyone no matter your choice should be prepared with the knowledge of safe sex. I also think this relates well to the underage drinking problem that the U.S suffers from. Personally I believe the same concept should be taught. Kids should be advised not to drink, but if they do teach them how to drink responsibly.

Lady HCC said... I can’t really choose a side as far as abstinence or contraceptives go. This is a major issue, and I believe that it just depends on the age, maturity, and the situation at hand. What I do believe is that schools should definitely be funded for more health classes for sexual education. Not every parent teaches their children about sex, and some don’t even teach them proper class or morals, therefore I believe that if the schools could push the issue then maybe this can teach them about the risks that are at hand if they are sexually active. I of course agree that the only “safe” way is abstinence, but naturally teenagers end up doing what they want, and often listen to their peers and fall into that “pressure.”If they are going to be sexually active, then they should use the contraceptives. In the end, it’s their choice, and if they choose to be sexually active, then at least they will have the education and the knowledge about the risks of being sexually active, and the use of the contraceptives. I believe it’s up to the parents to enforce these things, but unfortunately not all parents will, so if the school board can possibly help this situation, then I’m all for it.

I am more in favor of contraceptives. I think both subjects should be addressed in school and also more education on downfalls of having children so young. More than likely many goals and aspirations will take a backseat to raising a child and harder to obtain later in life. Abstinence should be introduced at a younger age too give kids an idea before they really start to become promiscuous. Contraceptives should also be drilled into kid’s heads so it becomes like a red light before intercourse. Overall more education on negative aspects of nonuse of contraceptives and abstinence should be a focus during educational courses. When it comes down to it kids are going to do what they want to most of the time without thinking of the end result anyway, so more education is the key.

One way we can eduate young teens is to have sex ed in high school. Young teens need to about birth control and how to properly use it if they are going to be sexually active. parents should also take the time out to talk to there kids about sex. If that were to happen the abortiob rate in this country would. Also there are so many young kids in the counrty who are walking around with STDS of some kind. We need to get more into the live of our children and educate them, about the risk the are taking when they become sexually active and also not to give into peer presure. If they start teaching and lecturing kids about abstinence, maybe some will lessen, but for the most part they will get curious and want to experience it for themsleve. If we talk to our kids and educate them and make sure they understand, they will make the right choices. You see things like this happen all the time when little girls who are not even women walking around 7 or 8 months pregnate and they dont fully understand what they have gotten them seves into. We ahve got to do better when talking to our kids and teaching them that it's not all hyped up to be and the risk about HIV,STDS and AIDS.

I believe abstinence is the way to go. I believe in this because of my religion. But I believe that God will help sort things out...but we don't need to put contraceptives in the middle of something as important as sex. I believe God will help sort things out when it comes to famine and population growth.We must know right from wrong and contraceptives are wrong. It just gives a reason for a teen to allow him not to worry about his or her actions if they were to have sex.

I believe that abstinence is the key. The reason is that unwanted pregancies are on the rise and also sexual transmitted diseases. I believe that if teenagers or people in general would wait until marriage with one partner, that unwanted pregnancies and STDs would start to decrease.Contraceptives cannot stop diseases. Condoms can break and birth control is not 100%. I think that parents should teach their kids about abstinece and also teachers. It would make a whole lot of difference between life and death. Especially for innocent little babies that never had a fighting chance.

Con't. Sex isn't everything, if someone loves you enough they can wait until marriage. When you are married you don't have to worry about neither of the two. But until then, keep yourself to yourself you would live a longer healthier diseased free life.

I think the schools should teach both methods. They need to emphasize the fact that abstinence is completely effective, but also should include the safe use of all forms of contraceptives. They should teach the pros and cons of every contraceptive available, so that if the teenager decides to have sex (as many will do) they will have a better chance to avoid transfer of stds and said pregnancies. This form of teaching could also lower the percentage of teenagers that contribute to the abortion rate in this country.

I think that we should use contraceptives. I just graduated and all they say in school is abstinence is the key. It is not the key, if you look around it doesnt work there are many teens out there having sex many starting in pre teen years like 12-14 it is disturbing, yes there are some kids out there that will be abstinant but that is their choice, i made that choice myself and still am a virgin. But for those who dont make that choice many of them dont know the wonders of contraceptives or just think that it is all fake. What I think we should do is have both parents and educators in our school system teach the use of condoms and birth control, and not just for the one hour everyyear like they do now for abstinence but everyday for at least 15 min. then maybe kids my age will realize that it does work and is a good idea. I know one girl who is 16 and told me last week she wants to have a baby, i was like WHY! and i found out that she didnt realize that it would screw up her life beyond her belief, and when i tried to tell her that all she said was im mature and i can do it, or my parents would help.

Kids need to know the consenquences of the action of having unprotected sex and the need to know the facts about using condoms, maybe then teen pregancy would lower some bit

I support abstinence. I think is should be strongly urged among teens, preteens, and children. However, I don't think our children should be ignorant to contraceptives. Information about safe sex should be taught along side stressing the importance of abstinence. In the end the choice is up to the teen. But I think they need to be informed not only of the physical "side effects" of teen sex such as pregnancy and STD's but also the emotional side which can be just as detramental, and sometimes more so. So I guess I side on the platform of abstinence with education.

No question in my mind on this. I support contraceptives. They have been keeping my wife and I from having kids for 3 years (knock on wood) and for the vast majority of people who enjoy sex, but dislike debt, this is a good option. In the teenage years sex is an issue on everyone's mind. In fact for decades after that, the average person still lives with sex on his or her mind most of the time. Trying to teach teenage kids abstinence is like trying to teach my dog to talk. Why bother? I worked in Wuerzburg Army Hospital in Germany for about two years in the department of Pediatrics. We held a confidential "teen clinic", where teens could get, birth control, pregnancy tests, condoms, treatment of minor STD's etc, etc, etc. The youngest girl that we saw in the clinic while I was there was 12 years old. And she had Chlamydia. These kids were going to have sex, and the clinic provided some level of protection for these children. But abstinence, which most people do not wish to try, provides no protection, just a false hope that you're child won't grow up. Well, I think that to discourage teen pregnancy in the United States we should make teen mother's go around from school to school with their kids, and let them try to talk to the students. When the students see how worn out the young mother looks, and smell a couple of diapers, they will be happy to go onto birthcontrol.

I believe that a person has the right to choose how they want to approach sex. Some choose to stay abstinate others choose to have sex at young ages. This is their choice and no one elses! If i had a teenage kid all i would say is hay, use a condom ok, i dont care if ur having sex or not but please just use a condom. I respect those who wait till marriage but seriously this is 2008, seeing something like that is like seeing bigfoot. So i guess i support Contraceptives.

Though it would much easier for schools to engrave the idea of contraceptives, i reccomend that we still the abstinence idea a shot. I mean sure, most teens won't do it and it doesn't fit well with the current social lifestyle, but it can still be worth it. I mean, for one, you don't have to worry about having an unplanned pregnancy to become the main focus of teenage years and beyond.